Broncos' Controversial Pat Bryant Call vs. Rams Wasn't So Clear-Cut

In a bit of a Sunday night thriller against the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Broncos were able to piece together a statement home win, 30-26, which largely came together thanks to a poised offensive drive from Bo Nix and Co. in the final minutes of the game.

With less than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Broncos' final drive came as they had their backs against the wall down by three, needing to shift the momentum facing a tough Rams defense, even without the presence of Myles Garrett off the edge.

A couple of big plays came to fruition in short time––a 36-yard reception from Pat Bryant, followed by a 21-yard catch made by Troy Franklin on the following play––before some controversy would soon set in under two minutes to go.

Pat Bryant's Controversial Pass Interference Call

As there was slightly less than 90 seconds left on the game clock, Nix would fire off a pass to the right sideline to Bryant, covered by Rams defensive back Josh Wallace, who went on to make a play on the ball, intercepting the pass, before it was called defensive pass interference and overturned.

That call on its own was significant. Then, it didn't take long for the Broncos to capitalize on that opportunity to get a new set of downs, as they were able to find their way into the end zone for a defining four-point lead five plays later.

And when going back to look at the replay from the flag called on Wallace to spark that domino effect from Denver's offense, you can at least see why some argue the Broncos got away with this one.

Pat Bryant tugs on the right shoulder pad of Josh Wallace, flops, and Wallace still makes the interception.

Horrendous PI call. pic.twitter.com/2G06wccVdO
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) September 28, 2026

Bryant was grabbing onto the shoulder pad of the Rams' defender before the flag was ultimately called on Los Angeles, and thus took away what would've been a game-winning play on their end.

If you're a Rams fan, you're probably feeling some sort of way about this decision. It might just be the difference between their record being 2-1 and 1-2.

However, while there's a case for LA's side to have their gripes about how the call ended up, let's play devil's advocate from the Broncos' perspective for a second.

Did the Rams Really Get Screwed? Not Exactly...

Sep 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts during the first half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is a physical play on both sides. Wallace got pretty handsy in his effort to make an impressive catch, and even if he was able to maintain possession of it, that's not to say there wasn't illegal contact on Bryant before controlling it.

When Wallace is coming in to break up Nix's pass, he looks as if he's pushing off on Bryant––who admittedly sold the play on his part extremely well––and was able to get the benefit of the doubt.

Was it a flop on Bryant's behalf? It's pretty difficult to say that he wasn't at least a little bit animated to get that call in his favor. But was there also a good argument that Wallace had made illegal contact regardless of how Bryant was able to sell the call? Definitely.

It's a 50-50 call more than anything. This time, it was the Broncos who came out on the better side of things, which was able to truly develop because of some masterful deception in the moment from Bryant.

Bottom Line

So in the end, Broncos fans shouldn't sweat this call one bit.

For one, Denver certainly benefitted from the outcome. They walked out of one of their toughest matchups of the season with a win to rise to 2-1, and avoid falling into a worrisome hole in what's shaping up to be a decently competitive AFC West.

But on top of the end result being in their favor, the Broncos did have a case that they were on the right side of things as well.

The Rams did make a solid amount of contact before Bryant was able to make a play on the ball, and it's a strong sell of the call from Denver's budding pass catcher, who really was able to come alive in the fourth quarter with his highest receiving total of the year this far.

Maybe some bad karma will come back around to strike Denver in due time. Until then, Broncos fans should feel pretty good about how their Sunday night win came to form.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google